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Transcend Warriors – Hayden Dunlavey

My Story:

Becoming diabetic I quickly realized how important organization is and having an abundance of supplies on you at all times. Now when I travel I make sure I have everything I need to tackle anything diabetes may throw at me.

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:4-5 Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:7+ times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with:Insulin Shots (syringes), Pen Needles, Glucose Meter & Strips, Transcend Glucose Gels
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:11-15
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:Under 1 hour

How has Transcend helped treat your low blood sugars?

They are easy to get down and bring blood sugars up quickly!

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

Hypoglycemic events. It sometimes takes forever for low blood sugar to come up and at least once a day I deal with these events. It’s a horrible feeling mentally and physically and it’s the worst part of diabetes for me.

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

That there is still a life to live. Instead of dreading every day and refusing to cope with this disease, I get up every day and learned to live a life with diabetes.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

Never be hard on yourself. You will have off days/burnout. But these are not your fault. More often than not diabetics go through rough patches managing it because sometimes our bodies are going to do what they wanna do regardless what we do. So ride the wave and know this too will pass

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

My husband really took the time to understand my disease. It is nice having someone who wants to learn about it so they can help when I’m in need.

My Dexcom G6 has been a game-changer in managing my diabetes. Being able to see a reading every 5 mins helps me stay in range and have fewer hypoglycemic events.

 

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Transcend Warriors – Joseph Frietze

My Story:

I don’t think everyone can necessarily pinpoint one story. But around when I was first diagnosed, I wasn’t able to feel my low bgl’s. So I can walk around and my blood sugar can be at 40 and I wouldn’t feel a thing. With time, I was able to start recognizing signs and was able to start feeling a little different when I go low. But I wasn’t able to feel my lows for about a year or two.

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:1-3 Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:1-3 times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with:Insulin Pump
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:11-15
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:Under 1 hour

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

Lack of self confidence. I always feel like all eyes are on me because of my diabetes. That no matter what I do, I’m not going to be able to appear like a normal person. A person without a chronic illness. No matter what, I feel like I’m always hoping to be judged because of that. And I’m scared that a lot of the judgment is going to be negative.

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

Every day is a new adventure. You’re not going to have the same blood sugar readings every single day. You’re not going to eat the same foods every single day. You just gotta expect the unexpected because it can happen in a matter of seconds.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

Nobody’s perfect. I know we all wish we can have perfect blood sugars, have a good diet, not have to stab ourselves with needles. But the fact that we are able to do it every day and still be able to come out with a smile, we’re strong. You are not your disease,

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

My family. Without the support if my family and my friends, handling diabetes would be impossible. And honestly, the more I’m able to help teach people, no matter what it is about diabetes, the better I feel about myself.

 

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Transcend Warriors – Morgan Winfield

My Story:

I have always been in love with the idea of being a helping hand and maybe even joining the military one day. When I found out that as a Type 1 Diabetic, I couldn’t do that, I was very saddened. I also had a dream of being an egg donor to help those who cannot conceive but again, as a diabetic, I cannot do these things. I will always fight to do the things that I can and I will do something just as amazing, if not better with my diabetes. I will let my diabetes push me forward and never let it hold me back.

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:6+ Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:7+ times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with:Insulin Pump, Insulin Shots (syringes), Glucose Meter & Strips, Glucose Gels
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:0-5
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:1-2 hours

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

My biggest challenge with diabetes is summer. As a whole I think that everything is harder in the summer. I am eating more and exercising more as well, which makes it harder to manage my sugar. I also find it much harder to keep my sites and sensors attached to my skin.

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

Having diabetes has made me stronger and more willing to go the extra mile. On those late nights when your body is tired of the highs and lows and you need a site change, it is important to push yourself.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

Your A1C does NOT determine your worth or how well you take care of yourself. Everyone is different.

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

My mom has always been extremely helpful and willing to do whatever it takes. She helps me keep my sugars in a good spot and sends me texts to keep me pushing. My Dexcom CGM has really made such a dramatic impact on my diabetes management however and made my sugars 100x better than they were.

 

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Transcend Warriors – Taylor Lookofsky

My Story:

In my field of work as a mental health therapist, I am constantly needing to juggle issues that come into my sessions with clients as well as managing my blood sugars and the intensity of conversations can definitely affect blood sugars.

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:4-5 Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:4-6 times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with:Insulin Pump, Glucose Meter & Strips
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:0-5
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:10 minutes depending on the low

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

Keeping myself in a range that I want to be in (Diabetes has a way of doing things on diabetes time).

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

To never give up, no matter how difficult of a day I might be having with my diabetes. Diabetes does not define who I am as a person and just something that has come into my life at an early age.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

Do not let your diabetes or your diabetes management define who you are. We all have our bad days and having a day of “highs” or “lows” is to be expected!

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

My mom, she has always been the biggest support and really helped me to understand how to care for myself.

 

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Transcend Warriors – Hana Adi

My Story:

I was diagnosed just after my 5th birthday, before starting Kindergarten. At the beginning of each school year, my Mom would come into my class to discuss my diabetes. I wanted her to do that because I wanted to be aware of my diabetes and what they could do if I needed help. Another part of it was that I just wanted people to know so they wouldn’t question what I was doing if I was testing, bolusing on my pump, etc. By the time I reached Grade Five, I was able to share this with my class on my own, without being anxious or embarrassed, and I still do it every year, to this day!

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:1-3 Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:4-6 times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with:Insulin Pump, Glucose Meter & Strips, Transcend Glucose Gels
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:5
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:Under 1 hour

How has Transcend helped treat your low blood sugars?

It wasn’t until recently that I was introduced to the Transcend Glucose Gels. As someone who is active in sports like hockey, the Transcend Glucose Gels are quick and easy to have when dealing with a low which helps me get back on the ice in no time. They are also small and compact which makes them easy to carry when I’m on the go!

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

I feel like my biggest challenge with diabetes is probably having to sit out of my activities when my blood sugar goes low. For example, if my blood sugar goes low during a hockey game, I will usually have to miss a couple of shifts after treating it so it can go back up. The reason I find this challenging is because I just want to be out there and it’s frustrating to see my teammates out there having fun while I’m sitting out. Although it’s annoying to sit out, I have to do it because I know it’s good for me.

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

Even though I have type 1 diabetes, it doesn’t stop me from doing the things I love. I may have to be more aware of what’s going on with my body, which means watching my blood sugar levels and carrying my supplies with me, but it doesn’t mean I have to stop doing the things I love.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

My piece of advice would be to always have patience. It’s very important to stay patient when you have diabetes because you need to test your blood sugar on a daily basis, treat your blood sugar whether it’s high or low, and you have to bolus before every meal. Those are just a few examples and there are many more but having patience when it comes to these things is very helpful because sometimes they can be a pain.

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

My Mom has helped me the most with my diabetes management. The one thing that has helped me the most with managing my diabetes would be my CGM because it alerts me of my highs and lows and it gives me a break from having to test as frequently. It also allows my parents to see my numbers from their phones so that they can help me more.

Want to become a #TranscendWarrior? Fill out our Transcend Warrior form to share your story and get featured on our social media!

Transcend Warriors – Derek Hill

My Story:

I am a very active person, & have been my whole life. It took a while for me to manage a stable blood sugar reading while doing physical activities. Many sports I am involved with are outdoors & take place in areas where you don’t have a lot of access to help if something were to go wrong with your blood sugars. Sports & activities I love such as snowboarding, kiteboarding, skateboarding, & drumming take lots of energy and require a stable level of blood sugars. Transcend allows me to worry less & address the low blood sugar issue quickly.

My Health Details

  • Type of Diabetes:Type 1
  • Low blood sugar instances per week:4-5 Instances
  • Daily number of times checking blood sugar:4-6 times/day
  • Managing Diabetes with: Insulin Shots (Syringes), Transcend Glucose Gels
  • Age were you diagnosed with diabetes:15
  • How long does it take you to come up when you are low:Under 1 hour

How has Transcend helped treat your low blood sugars?

I typically use Transcend Glucose Gels while being active & doing physical activity. Transcend gives me the ability to correct lows even while doing something where I don’t necessarily have time to break to eat something. This allows me to continue with my activities & not miss out on the fun.

What is your biggest challenge with diabetes?

Living with a disease that if not managed properly, you could end up dead or in a coma on any given day.

What have you learned from your experiences with diabetes?

Nothing is impossible if you manage your lifestyle in a responsible manner. I feel that I live the same life as any “normal person,” just with a little more self-care.

If you had one piece of advice for someone with diabetes, what would it be?

It’s your life, nobody is going to help manage your disease for you except YOU. Take action, take control, & live your life to its fullest.

Who has helped you the most manage your diabetes? What has helped you the most manage your diabetes?

I have been the one since the beginning managing my own health and well-being. Using the blood glucose monitor & maintaining a good diet gives me the ability to have better control of this disease.

Want to become a #TranscendWarrior? Fill out our Transcend Warrior form to share your story and get featured on our social media!